#my muscular laurent agenda

[typohime]

summer night

#captive prince #laurent #my muscular laurent agenda

[arbores--loqui--latine]

so yknow how plays and the theater were such a big thing in Ancient Greece? What if it was just as important to Akielon society?

Amphitheaters are scattered far and wide across the provinces, right up to the now free Veretian border. Some are brand new, stones sharply cut and glistening in the sun, some are ancient and crumbling, older than the gods that appear on stage. The biggest and most famous one of course would be at Ios. Perched at the very edge of the cliffs, with the sun setting in the background and the waves crashing beneath the audiences feet.

Long ago, only Kings and highborn people would have attended the theater to see the greatest plays be premiered, before anyone else in the country would see them. But now, since the rule of the Lover Kings, noblemen sat between street merchants and slaves, and young children fought to be pulled onto the Dark Kings lap.

By the time Laurent was old enough to enjoy the theater, play writing was a lost art in Vere. The performance of pets and dramatic ring fights were much more valued than long dialogues and plot lines. Laurent had  only seen one play in his life, after being dragged along at the Regents side, but he had stormed out in frustrated tears as the large brutish actor with an Akielon hairstyle plunged his fake sword into the breast of a blonde and beautiful boy in starburst battle armor.

Since then he had avoided all sorts of acting, apart from what he had to do to survive. So when Damen burst into their chambers one evening, waving an invitation to a performance, he knew he was in trouble. Damen had been delighted to have been invited to a performance to celebrate his coronation- it would be his first one since the rebellion- as he had fond memories of getting drunk before the stage and bedding painted and costumed youths after.

Days of begging and promises later, Laurent agreed to attend the performance on one condition: that he get a copy of the script first. After reviewing it quite a few times, and making changes to minor details (”As a native speaker, this writers grammar is terrible Damen!”), Laurent consented to attending.

On the night of the performance, Laurent was tense next to Damen. Even though nothing in this play could hurt him, the chattering of the audience and soft kithara music reminded him of his last time in the theater. Two children were seated on Damens lap, one on each knee, both telling him two different stories at the same time, and tugging on his hair and chiton.

After an agonizingly long wait, Laurent's stomach churning with anxiety, an attendant dropped to his knees in front of the Kings. He apologized to them both for the delay, without raising his head, and explained that the actor who was to play the young princess had fallen ill, and that the performance would have to be postponed.

After the attendant had bowed and left, Laurent turned to see Damen pouting slightly and apologizing to the two disappointed children, one of which began to cry.

The princess’ part wasn't very complex, Laurent knew. She had fifteen lines of dialogue at the most, but she was the most important character- she was who the countries went to war for.

They fought for her beauty, her spun gold silk hair, her lily white skin, and her sapphire blue eyes. Laurent wasn't one to boast (lol) but he had seen his own reflection more than once and the princess had sounded familiar.

Laurent swallowed over the lump in his throat. It would be just like every other time he had faked it right? It would be just like that night in the inn, or becoming Jokaste, doing it on a stage wouldn't be that different. He took his husband face and kissed him, before taking off down the steps towards the stage, his heeled boots clicking on the stones as he ran.

When he reached backstage, the dressing room was in a frenzy. Half dressed actors ran around trying to figure out what was happening, as others desperately searched for a princess replacement so as not to disappoint the Kings. When Laurent entered, the whole room stopped and prostrated themselves to the floor- but as Laurent had no time to tell them to rise like he usually would, he launched straight into his explanation.

He had read the script enough to know the gist of his lines-

“Quick does anyone have a copy??” 

He obviously looked the part-

“Aren’t you glad I haven’t cut my hair!”

And it wasn't hard to fashion some sort of royal dress to cover his muscular arms- “CERISE? ARE YOU BLIND?? WITH MY COLOURING?? I’M GOING TO HAVE A MEETING WITH CHARLS AND-”

If anyone could play a beautiful princess with an agenda, it was him.

He spent most of his time on stage veiled. his voice, pitched just a slight bit higher than usual, reached every person in the audience, even though he spoke in only whispers. He floated gracefully across the stage, fainting in the arms of heroes and hiding secret messages in folds of cloth. When his veil was finally removed in the final act, the whole audience gasped when they saw their king stand before them. From where he stood, Laurent could see Damens jaw almost hit the floor, and his eyebrows disappear beneath the curls which hung over his forehead. Roses fell at his feet as the audience gave the players their standing ovation, and Laurent closed his eyes for a second, all previous dark memories of the theater being replaced by the sound of the roaring crowd.

The original actor didn't recover in time for the next night, or the night after, so Laurent dutifully filled his place, drawing larger crowds than Ios had seen for weddings or coronations in all of its history, as people came for a glimpse of the Golden King on stage.

And thus so began King Laurent of the Twin Kingdoms acting career, and Prince Damianos of the Twin Kingdoms valiant attempt to break his seven hour record.

#captive prince #laurent #damen #lamen #fanfic #? #headcanon #ficlet #i.........didnt proofread this